Staycations

Life’s Mindful Moments:    Staycations

The economy has taken a bite out of our ability to just go off and take a trip when we like. We don’t travel as often (except for work or to see relatives). We can’t remember the last time we took a vacation just the two of us. But that’s okay. Someone invented the word ‘Staycation’; and thankfully on the heels of us all wondering how we were going to cope with our changing lifestyles. Prior to September of 2008, many of us lived sweet entitled lives compared to the rest of the world. We wasted more money than we should have, and took things for granted to one degree or another. You know what I’m talking about.

So instead of booking a few nights in a B & B, whenever we want a getaway spot over looking a lake in ‘Somewhere USA, we head up to Lake Geneva Wisconsin (our home away from home). It’s about 40 minutes away from us. It’s Staycation time: We pack a lunch, our lawn chairs, a blanket, and I swear to Rich on a stack of receipts that I won’t step foot in any of the charming little shops. Instead, we spend the afternoon reading a stack of books and gaze at the view. It doesn’t take much to make me happy. All summer, I’ll find a shady tree to sit under, let the breeze kiss my cheeks, count the sail boats, laugh at children with ice cream, listen to the birds, watch people go by and wonder what they are up to, swat an occasional ant off my toes (some times I don’t even care). We meet all sorts of happy dogs and dog owners (I can’t resist a cute dog walking by. We must become friends.). The one thing I do now is make sure to look up every few chapters from my book, pause and just follow my breath for five minutes. When I do, the peace within me is as deep as the lake. From time to time I’ll tell Rich, ‘Doesn’t get any better than this.’ Even in the winter I’ll go up there (I love it when the latent lake begins to stir. If you are really still you can hear it thawing). If going up to Lake Geneva isn’t an option, we’ll hang out at the lake in our town or sit on the patio in our own little backyard. Contentment is accepting right where you are at, in the moment (in all seasons). Sometimes those moments are so pleasant it doesn’t matter where you are staying.